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Comments
Also, are you aware that cars aren't really square from the factory brand new? I saw them checking the squareness of the body... but you know, many vehicles will prove not square if you do that to them. Did the shop that measured that for you also give you the specs on what is allowed? Did you take that car to a shop before the wreck to see how square the body was? Of course not, no reason to... right? I think you might have been surprised if you had.
Just thought I'd let you know. Take care.
That is INSANE and about as unprofessional as anything I have ever heard of!
As far as damages, at the VERY least, they owe you an interior detail and a tank of gas.
I would write a detailed letter to the owner of that store!
Is this enough of atonement, or should I demand more and attempt to litigate if neccesary?
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I probably wouldn't want to do business with this "establishment". How the heck can you trust them in the future. I would ask for the $900 in billable services in cash. Threaten litigation, then accept maybe $600 in cash... sounds fair.
I think what you have suggested would fall into the catagory of "ginding them into the dirt"
For crying out loud, life is short!
If sinsel wants to continue doing business with this dealership, then 3 free maintence services would be just compensation. If he doesn't want to do business with this dealership anymore... then what is just compensation? I think a dollar a mile and money for a tank of gas is justified... certainly not grinding into the dirt.
Personally, after the stunt the dealership pulled I wouldn't want them touching my car again. Would opt out for the cash option and take it somewhere else.
I would rather focus my attention on more important things in life and move on.
I do agree that life is short. The service manager basically admitted guilt and is offering an olive branch.
I'm moving on, with a lesson learned.
Remember folks -- watch that mileage when you take it in for service. Thanks to all who responded, and provided their opinion.
I'm sorry Isell but I have to agree with Jipster on this on. I wouldn't let my car within 100 miles of that dealer. How would you know that they wouldn't do the same thing again when you brought your car in for those free services?
And how about the emotional damage done to this customer? I'm sure he has nightmares about Johnny Greasespot beating the hell out of his car while eating big Macs and fries. I mean really, there's a lot of potential for abuse in 420 miles.
Personally, I'd call the cops and have someone arrested for unauthorized use of my car. I don't believe for a minute that they fired any body.
I heard a story once of a dealer who would loan out one customer's car to the next customer in a daisy-chain scam. He got away with it for awhile until a guy who had another customer's car as a loner totaled it.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I guess the poster could sit around and wring his hands thinking of what "might" have happened to his car.
I guess the same thing "could" happen when he brings it back for those free services. What are the chances of that?
In the vast realm of things this is a pretty small thing, really.
You bet I wuld be ticked and I would let the world know about it.
And then I would move on with life and worry about more important things.
But, that's me...
A crook wouldn't even bother; if anything he would try to intimidate you.
Quite possible it's a sign the dealer wants to keep its name off the 6 o'clock news. It was a smart business decision for the manager to make the offer he did. He was presented irrefutable evidence, by sensel, that the car had been abused.
The alternative was taking the chance the issue would end up in court or the local news.. as it surely would have made an interesting feature story.
Show me official documentation that the mechanic was indeed fired, then it's a different ballgame. But, I sure wouldn't take the managers word for it.
This is small stuff. The local TV station wouldn't get involved in such a trivial manner and yes, it is trivial!
I guess you don't watch much local news, do you? 99.99% of the local news is trivial !!
Personally, I would think that the local news would eat this type of story up!
Hey why don't you try this question in our new "Answers" section!
http://answers.edmunds.com/default.aspx
The most recent one, i requested a quote for a timing belt replacement on my 98 Civic with 66k miles. They quoted me over the phone $559 + tax. I happened to talk about it with a friend, and he mentioned he had gotten a quote of $469 + tax. I called the dealership, and they said the difference is some "belt kit" (alternator, AC, power steering) which i had not requested, and the service advisor "jennifer" did not mention over the phone.
An older story - I had the front wheel bearings replaced about a year ago (a horror story on its own, with multiple trips etc.), and soon after that i noticed a rumbling noise at speeds of 30-45 mph. Went for a check, the dealership charged me $35 and the diagnostic was "could not replicate". Got the mechanic in the car with me, and all of a sudden he could hear the noise. They then lifted the car and showed to me what they said was tire asymetry (tires had low miles on them) and convinced me i needed new tires. I had new tires installed, wheels balanced, and also had the car aligned. Surprise surprise, the rumbling noise is still there.
http://www.edmunds.com/dealerships/drr/jump.html
I would ask for a full refund on the labor. The dealership "fixed" something that wasn't broken. They shouldn't profit from it.
Also, replacing that 10 year old water pump while everything is apart would be a no brainer...do it!
I agree with Isell; replacing belts on a transverse engine can be a pain, and if your Honda is still on its original set they are due for replacement.
Got the mechanic in the car with me, and all of a sudden he could hear the noise. They then lifted the car and showed to me what they said was tire asymetry (tires had low miles on them) and convinced me i needed new tires. I had new tires installed, wheels balanced, and also had the car aligned. Surprise surprise, the rumbling noise is still there.
That is simply poor diagnostic practice on their part. My wife's 528iA had a low frequency vibration at 20-40 mph. My local dealer fitted a known good set of tires/wheels and eliminated the tires as the source. It turned out to be the driveshaft, which was replaced under warranty. The jokers you dealt with aren't mechanics- they are part replacers who are are simply guessing and throwing your money at the problem.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Great way to phrase what's being done to the customer. :sick:
Car repair is primarily diagnosis--not parts replacement--paraphrasing Steve O, a Cincy auto tech with a great radio car repair show.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Well, what is one suppose to do? After the fact that is. If a mechanic say's this is the problem, you pay $950 to fix it... you drive away and the problem is still there??? I would say a refund is in order.
Now, if a mechanic says it could be a number of things, and starts out with what he thinks is wrong... and the problem is still not fixed, then I'd say you were out of luck, that you understood the risk involved.
I agree.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I had installed a rebuilt alternator on my Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, and one day the charging light came on when I started the car at lunch. I drove over to my indie garage and told one of the techs that my alternator was most likely shot. He popped the hood and almost immediately found a broken ground wire. Five minutes and $5 later I was back on the road.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
So do you go to that shop now for repairs?
If not, why?
If not, why?
Yes, I've been a customer for over twenty years. It is the only shop that I use for my domestic vehicle(s).
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
This morning I took the car to the dealership service and they called me telling me they have to add a new engine! Yep, you read it right! According to them one of the cylinders was locked or something like that and i'm running on 4 cylinders. I trully believe they want to screw the Insurance Company, which eventually will screw me. Therefore I told them I wanted a second opinion and I will take the car somewhere else. They told me it is ok, but they have to put the engine back together and they will charge me for it. Can they do that? Is that legal?
I'm not sure I'd want to keep that car, I'd suspect you'll have many problems for years...including electrical problems.
You should not have driven into the water.
You should never have attempted to re-start the car after getting it out of the water. Of course, the damage might have been already done, when you first drove into the water.
And yes, if you took it in and asked for a diagnoistic, and signed off on it, they could have to take at least part of the engine apart to determine this.
In this case, I don't think the shop is messing with you, or the insurance company. I really think you need to be talking with your insurance company now. You don't seem to know much about automobile mechanics, and the insurance company is going to be involved with this whole thing anyway, so why are you not having them involved??????
There seems to be a problem with what your auto shop is doing.
Let us look at the modus operandi of what happened.
1. You take your car into the shop and tell them that you drove through relatively deep water.
2. They examine the car and contact you and tell you that the engine is totalled and a new one is needed.
3. You ask for a second opinion (quite correct in my view)
4. They tell you that they will have to charge for rebuilding the engine.
5. Rebuilding what though?
Any engine which has possibility of water damage should be dealt with as follows:
Remove spark plugs from engine.
Turn engine over - get workmate to see if water gushes out of any cylinders.
If it does then mechanic contacts owner and says that there has been water in the engine and would they like them to examine it further.
If the car is a diesel engine then the glow plugs are removed and same process followed.
This is basic level 1 mechanics. I know because I teach this at the college I work at, maybe they were off on that day.
Who should they charge?
You are the one who drove through deep water and THEN attempted to start the car. The others here and the shop have already told you what happens to an engine when you do this.
I wouldn't be surprised if your insurance company balks at paying to have your engine rebuilt under these circumstances.
There is also a good possibility that the water has damaged other components and gotten into your transmission too. Not a good thing.
Good luck.
Case in point my naeighbor a few years ago ago got his house painted while on vacation, I mentione to my wife that he never said anything about it but I took it on stride,well the paint job was a mistake the house that should have been painte was in another block. The judge ruling was that the painting company will be deprived of any profits from the job but my neighbor had to pay for labor and materials,,based on...you guessed it...my neighbor could not benefit from the house having a fresh paint job...it sounds crazy but that is the way most judges will look at this., if there is any litigation..
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
So yeah, the diagnosis might have been careless but proving they had foreknowledge of these defects---well, good luck.
If the dealer won't step up to help you, your only recourse might be Small Claims Court, to throw yourself on the sympathies of the judge---but legally, "as is" means just that. Sometimes a Small Claims suit...just filing one...jolts a dealer's memory as to past faults.
But you also have to take at least some responsibility for not having this car checked out by an independent garage prior to purchase. Some of these defects might have been spotted, though I doubt all of them.
But I'm glad they are stepping up to fix things for you. It was the right thing to do.
It's better than nothing, however.
Will you guys kill me if I tell my Miata story AGAIN?
Friend's car---was hit 3 times in three years, for a total of $18,000 damage. CARFAX report is clean, to this day.
Fortunately, the car now races Spec Miata so the prior damage is irrelevant to the new owner.
I was quoted $26.95 for the oil change, and told that the car would need to be kept over night.
On Friday, May 2, I received a call from the Service Mgr., telling me that I had been misquoted on the oil change price, as the required 5W-50 Synthetic Oil was quite expensive. He compromised on the mistake, telling me that he would charge me "Employee Price-$58.00, as opposed to the normal price of $84.00. I agreed.
I went in to pick the car up on Monday, May 5. I went to the Cashier to pay, as required, before getting my car. I received a bill for $84.00!!!!! I asked what it was for and she said it was for the oil change. I told her I was promised a price of $58.00-she called Mr. Keith in-we recalled our conversation, he called it a "communication error", said he would fix it. The new bill came to $75.00. I went ballistic-why do these people continue to play these games? He finally relented and reduced the charge to $58.45, which I paid, and had my car brought up front. The first thing I did was check the odometer-I paid particular attention to the mileage "as dropped off" because it is a high performance vehicle and didn't want anyone playing with it. The mileage was 5116.5!!!!! 19.5 miles had been put on the car!!! I shut the engine off and found the Service Mgr., asked him to explain why 19.5 mi. had been put on the car while in their care. His explanation was "road testing"-that three technicians had to road test it!!! HUH??? For what-an oil change? Reprogramming a computer module? Checking the 1st gear synchronizer? Checking the headlight alignment? I asked the Service Mgr. for the name and number of the Ford District Manager-he said he couldn't give it to me, gave me an 800 number for the Ford Customer Relations Center. I called this number, and talked to some kid in Florida, who told me that he would pass the info along; he couldn't tell me what would be done, who would see it, but did say that I probably wouldn't get a call back from Ford. He couldn't give me the name of the District Manager either, said it could be obtained from any Ford Dealership (apparently not Chino Hills Ford!!). This call was a complete waste of time.
I also asked another Dealership’s Fleet Manager for the District Manager’s contact info-he asked what I wanted to talk to him about-he didn’t want me calling if I was upset-HUH????
I talked to the Owner of a speed shop specializing in Mustangs-he has a GT500 with a Whipple blower, bigger throttle body, intake package, headers, etc., putting out 798 HP to the rear wheels!!! He brought his in to a Dealership for Service-found that 112 miles had been put on his!
Any advice?
Why not find out what the repair procedures is for the warranty work before getting bent out of shape?
There's really nothing you can do here anyway, so you might as well try for an apology and forget about it.